Tuesday, December 5, 2006

1994 Bridgestone RB-1

Back in the early nineties, I was a wee young lad working in a bike shop. Anyone who has ever spent time in a bike shop knows that the shop employees are very particular about the equipment they personally use. This makes sense given that they spend 40-60 hours a week up-close and personal with the stuff that makes the bike world go around. Mechanics spend hours trouble-shooting and repairing products and honing their preferences for equipment.

Over my time in the bike industry there have been very few products that have arrived at the bike shop door worthy of bike shop employee praise. There are even fewer that have gone on to become objects of desire. The Bridgestone bicycle in any form is such the item.

From the very beginning, Bridgestone took a no-nonsense approach to building bicycles. They relied on no trends to sell their bikes. From the deign of their frames to the hand selection of components, everything on the bike had a purpose, often making the Bridgestone the best choice for someone who could only afford one bike.

Thirteen years later, my Bridgestones continue to impress me with their forward-thinking and commitment to the pure joy that is cycling. Grant Peterson, who was the marketing end of B-stone and is a true visionary, continues to design, develop, and sell products in the same vein as Bridgestone. He keeps the vision alive.

I finally have enough parts lying around to bring my RB-1 back into service; I plan to build it back up with an old DA 9-speed kit and some tubs.

So check back in a bit for a complete review of the 1994 RB-1, complete with all the B.S. subjectivity you come to expect from bike reviews. I'll be sure to comment on how comfy the saddle is and how I personally would prefer a bar tape with a bit more contrast to the paint scheme.

I have two, a 91 and a 94, both red. The 91 was my A bike for many miles until I got the 94 as a frame just as Bstone was getting out of the US market. I liked the graphics more than the earlier bike, and it had the eyelets and the Ritchey fork crown that made it so cool. So, I built it up and trained/raced on it for 1500 miles before a car turned left in front of me and I landed on the hood. I was ok but the frame was slightly bent. You needed to run your finger along the down tube to tell. The driver paid to replace the frame with a TSX Bianchi, and I was left with a damaged, but beautiful, end of an era RB-1. A few months ago, I built the old frame up with some SunTour Superbe Pro parts (also end of an era stuff) and the original stem and bars. I have put it on display in my office, and hundreds of employees have admired it. People stop by to ask about it all the time. It's really pretty, and I've mounted it on top of my cabintets on a special rig that lets the wheels spin. I'm sad that my time riding the 94 was so short, but I feel like I'm doing the bike some real justice. I still ride the 91 and feel it's the best overall bike I have ever owned.

this is going back along way, but i got white with yellow back in '88...i have always regretted getting rid of that bike....never/until those old school bikes have i felt that snap..i could scream up hills. i cant remember the model, but $400 dollars in '88 was big dough for a kid like me.

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Belgium Knee Warmers Defined

For many professional cyclists the Spring campaign is the toughest of the season; it means training from October until March in the worst, character-building weather conditions Europe can dish out. This weather and the suffering that is bicycle racing breed characters known as "hardmen".

Select cyclists tackle these conditions in shorts, long sleeve jerseys or short sleeve jerseys with arm warmers, wind vests, and shoe covers. A true hardman opts to forego the knee or leg warmers and instead chooses an embrocation to cover the knees. The liniment provides warmth for the legs and keeps the blood circulating and muscles supple. Embrocation and the sheen created is affectionately known as "Belgium knee warmers". The hardest of cyclists will sport bare legs in the most ruthless of conditions.

Belgium Knee Warmers are indicitive of the many subtleties that make professional cycling so enthralling.

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I spent 20 years of my life working in the bicycle industry, turning wrenches and selling bikes for some of the industry's best shops. I have extensive experience designing and constructing frames in both steel and titanium and have performed thousands of bike fits. I am passionate about bicycles in all forms. The bicycle provides me with physical and mental health and taps me into a social pipeline that allows me to share my passion with others. I ride as often as possible and love the flow of a hard group ride. Check back for musings about all things road cycling and, especially, the Spring Classics. The devil is in the details and I am an expert in the useless minutia that makes up our discipline.